The Park View

Four of us went to monitor and encourage the work of Ethiopian Addis Kidan Baptist Church and it was the best trip ever. It has been 27 years since 3 churches joined to form the denomination. Today there are 151 churches and preaching points with approximately 30,000 members. The last year has been one of growth both in numbers and in spirit.

They have been dreaming of and planning for a headquarters office building since the beginning. They have rented houses for use in the meantime. Last year I laid the cornerstone for their new office building and this year the first floor is complete and they have moved in. The superstructure is up for 3 more floors to be used as more office space, a training center, and a guest house. They will add floors as they get the money to build. They are excited and happy to be in their own headquarters.

There are now 3 mobile Bible Schools in rural areas. Last year 34 students graduated from the first mobile Bible School in the Kembatta area. Addis Kidan has churches in 9 zones of the country and more mobile Bible Schools are needed. The format is to send a teacher out from Addis for a week of training in a rural area. The complete program is for 12 months. Churches provide money for transportation and lodging for the leaders they send. It works because the leaders stay connected to their home churches and they are able to immediately put to use all that they have learned.

There is a lot of new work among the Oromo people and there are now trained leaders who speak Oromina. We visited a church in the city of Ambo that began just a little over a year ago and they now have over 300 in attendance. They are building classrooms so that they can have kindergarten classes through the support of Compassion International. The church is also the site of one of the mobile Bible schools. A countryside church has already sent 1000 birr and a truck full of eucalyptus poles to help with the building. They have promised more lumber.

A church in Addis started an outreach in Sebeta two years ago. They now have 300 members and are reaching out to start churches in 6 more nearby areas. There is a lot of optimism and joy among the believers.

The greatest development was in Menz where we began the work 47 years ago. Today there are open doors to preach the gospel at many Orthodox churches in that mountain area. The first believers in Menz joined another denomination after a few years. Their church is no longer attended and the believers in that area do not meet regularly. They say that they have children and grandchildren who are believers but they do not worship anywhere. They are eager to return to fellowship with Addis Kidan and are working to build a church in a central community area. We plan to go there and hold a 3 day meeting a year from now. We are trusting the Lord to breathe new life into the believers as they gather just as He did 42 years ago at a large 5 day meeting in Mehal Meda. It was the start of a great movement of the Spirit in Menz.

First, let me thank you for all the kind remembrances related to my birthday. It almost makes getting older a good thing when a day sparks that much encouraging communication!

Secondly, May means Mother’s Day. Where would WPBC be if were not for all our dedicated and faithful mothers? They have the biggest job in the world just being mothers and then they are the heart and soul of the church. Thank you and may God reward you mothers for your sweet spirit and your tireless service! I hope we have a house full of mothers and families on Mother’s Day.

And then there is the Alfred Lee Concert. Are you telling everyone you know about our plans for May 22? Dr. Lee will play for us in the Morning Worship Sevice that day and then he will present a concert in our Worship Center at 6:00 that evening. We want the community to be informed and invited. It promises to be an enjoyable and exciting evening for all our neighbors to experience.

Dr. Lee has composed, directed and performed in some of the finest venues in the world, and we are blessed to have him coming to be with us. He will play the keyboard in such a dynamic and skillful way you will think you are listening to a full orchestra, and you will hear amazing renditions of everything from Star Wars to your favorite hymn. You will also be blessed by his sincere and unique testimony. Don’t miss this event, and don’t let your neighbors miss it!

My next concern is the folk I haven’t seen lately. We have had a lot of sickness, and we’ve had people out of town, etc. Sometimes it is difficult to keep up with who is traveling and who is having health or other issues. Please, please make it a point to contact those folk you haven’t seen at church in the last week or two and make sure they are doing all right. We are family and we must stay connected! If you discover someone is ill or hospitalized or dealing with some other difficulty don’t assume others know. Keep us informed.

Finally, I trust you are praying earnestly for your Pastor Search Committee. They are working diligently, and it is absolutely imperative that they find God’s leadership exactly. I know the committee members are praying for that, and we must join them in “seeking God’s face” and asking for His favor in this important matter.